Ted Hurlbut

Piperlime 3-D: The Store Pops Up

August 12, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
In a world where pop-up stores seem to come out of nowhere, another has its sites set on Manhattan and this time it's Piperlime. Piperlime? Yes, Gap Inc.'s online-only business is heading for a September 9 opening in SoHo just in time for Fashion Week. What do you think of the approach Piperlime is taking with its pop-up store in New York?      [more...]

Obviously, the timing and location of Piperlime's pop-up indicates that this is as much about generating industry buzz as it is about testing the concept at retail. These objectives are by no means mutually exclusive (although the test results aren't necessarily indicative of the results that might come from a full roll-out).

The key point here is that the continuing softness in the commercial real estate market offers numerous opportunities for retailers of all sizes to test new items and concepts. This is the incubator for the innovation that will ultimately revitalize retail, and the opportunities are there for both corporate concepts like Piperlime as well as concepts from new retail entrepreneurs.